An Ofsted rating of 'requires improvement' is the third rating of four of what an education provider can be given by inspectors. According to the government website, it means the school 'is not yet good but overall provides an acceptable standard of education'.
The other three ratings schools can achieve are 'outstanding', 'good' and 'inadequate'. There are four categories of inspection, which are 'quality of education', 'behaviour and attitudes', 'personal development' and 'leadership and management'.
Schools rated 'requires improvement' are inspected again within a 30-month period. If the establishment has been judged 'requires improvement' across two inspections in a row, it will be monitored by inspectors to check its progress.
READ MORE: Ofsted's 5 most recent 'inadequate' schools in Nottinghamshire
There are a number of education providers which currently have an overall rating of 'requires improvement' across the county. And the five most recent schools with the rating have all had the reports of their most recent inspection published this year.
Hall Park Academy, Eastwood
This secondary school and sixth form has a total of 910 pupils on its roll aged between 11 and 18. The academy on Mansfield Road was rated as 'requires improvement' in 'quality of education' and 'behaviour and attitudes', but 'good' in other areas when inspected on March 30.
The report states: "The curriculum is not taught consistently well. This leaves pupils with gaps in their knowledge. Not all pupils enjoy learning. Some pupils say they have experienced bullying. Many say they hear racist, sexist or homophobic comments made to others.
"Pupils are sometimes reluctant to tell staff because they do not think that staff will deal with these incidents effectively. New strategies are beginning to make a difference."
This inspection was due to be a monitoring visit, but was upgraded to a full inspection by inspectors as they found standards had improved. When the report was published in May, David Crossley, headteacher, said: "We are pleased that the report recognises the progress that the school has made since inspectors lasted visited, just two terms ago. This is the culmination of much hard work by staff and students. We remain focussed on our improvement priorities to deliver the high standard of education that our students and local community deserve."
Stephanie Dyce, executive headteacher, said: "It is good to see that inspectors have acknowledged the strength of leadership at Hall Park, recognising that the team are in a good position to continue to move the school forward. We will continue to build on the strengths highlighted in the report such as the successful sixth form, provision for SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) students and the high quality of the personal development curriculum." The school had previously been inspected in December 2019 and was rated inadequate prior to improvements which have been made.
Wood's Foundation C of E Primary School, Woodborough
This primary school has 208 pupils on its roll aged between four and 11. The school on Lingwood Lane was rated as 'requires improvement' in all areas when inspected on March 9, after previously being rated 'outstanding' in 2008.
The report states: "Leaders have not developed a consistent approach to managing poor behaviour or rewarding good behaviour. Some staff do not address low-level disruption and learning time is lost.
"Parents and pupils welcome the actions the interim headteacher has taken to improve the school. Parents and staff continue to be anxious about the future of the school after a lengthy period of uncertainty." Wood's Foundation C of E Primary School was contacted for comment.
James Peacock Infant and Nursery School, Ruddington
This infant and nursery school has 322 pupils on its roll aged between three and seven. The school on Manor Park was rated 'requires improvement' in all areas when inspected on March 2 and 3.
The report states: "Leadership and staffing at the school are in a state of uncertainty. There has been considerable staff turnover in recent years. This has had a negative impact on the smooth running of the school. Staff do not set consistently high expectations for behaviour across the school. Sometimes, pupils lose focus in lessons."
When the report was published, Hannah Cutts, acting headteacher, said that the report was "disappointing" but added there was a "rigorous" school improvement plan in place. "We recognise the judgement to be a fair representation of where the school is currently at and is in line with our self-evaluation," she said.
"Everyone at the school has worked very hard over the past few months to ensure there is a rigorous school improvement plan in place, helping us to make rapid changes for the benefit of our children. We are confident that with the new curriculum, staff training and other changes we have put in place, with the support of the local authority, we are well placed to make progress in all areas required.
"We are proud of our children at this school and want to ensure they all receive the best education possible. We would like to thank our parents, carers and families for their continued support as we make every effort to improve further."
The Suthers School, Newark
This secondary comprehensive has 422 pupils aged between 11 and 19 on its roll. The school was rated 'requires improvement' for 'behaviour and attitudes', with every other area rated 'good' when inspected on March 1 and 2.
The report states: "Pupils reported that behaviour is not consistently good across the school. Younger pupils are particularly concerned that some lessons are disrupted by poor behaviour.
"Pupils do not think that staff manage behaviour consistently. Pupils are not concerned about bullying."
When the report was published, Andy Seymour, executive headteacher, said he accepted the findings, but added: "We are bitterly disappointed that the hard work and unerring commitment of governors, staff, parents, carers and students has not been fully recognised by the inspection team. The Suthers School, like all schools across the country, has had to contend with the lasting effects of the pandemic and the continued challenges that it brings.
"High levels of absence amongst both pupils and staff, as well as the disruption to learning habits and routines, has created a significant challenge for learners - particularly younger students - following such significant disruption to learning. Everyone at the school is already working hard to ensure that the school will be rightly recognised as at least 'good' at the next inspection."
The Bramble Academy, Mansfield Woodhouse
This nursery, infant and primary academy on Oxclose Lane has 169 pupils on its roll aged between three and 11. The school was inspected on September 28 and 29 2021, but the report was published in January 2022, and found every area was rated as 'requires improvement' except for 'behaviour and attitudes', which was rated 'good'.
The report states: "The quality of education is not good enough at this school. In some subjects, including in reading, the curriculum is not taught well enough throughout the school from the early years. This means that pupils do not gain the knowledge and skills they should over time, including pupils who struggle to read. A significant minority of parents told inspectors they have concerns about staff turnover."
A spokesperson at the school said: "The quality of our education is our utmost priority at the academy, and we are committed to enhancing our provision to give pupils the best start in life. While we were disappointed to receive this rating, we were pleased to see that the behaviour and attitudes category was judged as good and the inspector highlighted the progress we are continuing to make to address areas for improvement.
"We are confident our robust improvement strategies and close partnerships with our fantastic and committed team of staff, brilliant pupils and supportive families will ensure we continue to better our school experience for our pupils. We are also pleased to share that from September, the academy will officially join Greenwood Academies Trust, a trust specialising in school improvement.
"Greenwood has been a key part of the team supporting our academy since the Ofsted inspection and is already helping us on our improvement journey as we strive to provide pupils with the best possible education."
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